Final thesis presentation given at AARE 2006 conference

1. Visitors and learners: A dult museum visitors’ learning identities Lynda Kelly, University of Technology, Sydney

10. PEOPLE … sometimes we’d bounce off something of interest to ourselves, then we’d look at it a bit more, wander off. Then we’d come together a few times to have a look at things. … I also learned a bit more about my friends. I didn’t know they had an interest in [tattoos] either, and you sort of learn more of what they’re about as well . (Interview Transcript 3.4, 24/02/01)

12. PURPOSE Obviously [learning is] something that’s not boring, something that’s not passive, so it’s more of an active thing … Something where you choose to be involved, that you’re interested in doing. (Interview Transcript 3.1, 22/11/00)

14. PLACE 2 Eddie. Look at the seahorses. Cath. Like the one in the salt water. Bree. They’re just so cute and they swim along… Eddie. I’d hate to be bitten by these fish, look at the teeth! Cath. But they don’t normally attack. … When we go to Port Stephens next week we should go and find the white seahorses. Wouldn’t that be mad if we see one and we go, that’s a white seahorse. The guy’s going to just look at us [and go] how do you know that!

22. Visit manager Liz. Let’s look down the back; check if there’s anything down there we need to see. Liz. Shall we go and have a look back there? We might find something that you like Paul.

23. Museum expert Rox. How do they catch them, Mum? I wonder what they put them in a bottle for? Mary. So you can see them, ‘cos the backs are white, so you can see them better. Tara. Eoww, disgusting! Look at the little bugs … with a needle through them. Liz. Well that’s just to hold them in place. Art. That’s from India again. Dot. I know, I wonder where they find them. Just walking along? Art. I don’t know, probably dug up from somewhere. Caves, mines, it doesn’t say.

24. Learner-facilitator Kay. Come and look at this. What is that? Where’s that from Zeke? Zeke. Bali. Kay. Yes, good boy. Zeke. I knew that. Kay. How did you know that? Zeke. Because it has all these on it “Javanese and Balinese” [reading from text] in the second line. I’ll tell you why I knew it was Balinese, because I saw those little gold things in Bali.

25. SHARING LEARNING Rick. Hey Kate look at these ones, how’s that for a shell? Kate. That’s an unusual one. Toni. That’s beautiful. Kate. Were shells alive, are shells alive? Rick. They’ve got things inside them. Toni. Molluscs in them. Kate. But are the actual shells alive? Toni. No. Rick. They’re a shell. Toni. I think the shell is the shell of the mollusc that originally lived in them, like a snail. Kate. So they’re part of something? Toni. They’re part of something that was, yes.